Use guide words

Key Notes :

What are Guide Words?

Guide words are like signposts at the top of each dictionary page. They are the first and last words listed on that page, in alphabetical order. Think of them as a sneak peek to the words you’ll find on that page!

How are Guide Words Used?

Imagine this scenario: You’re searching for the word ‘courage’.

You open the dictionary to a random page. The guide words at the top are: ‘count’ ‘create’ Does ‘courage’ belong on this page? No! ‘courage’ comes before ‘count’ alphabetically. So, you know you need to go back a few pages.

Why are Guide Words Important?

Guide words help you quickly locate words in a dictionary, saving you time and effort. Without them, you’d have to scan every single word on every page! 🤯 They’re especially useful when you’re not sure of the exact spelling of a word.

Examples

Here are some examples of how guide words work:

Guide Words: ‘apple’ – ‘arrive’

• You’ll find words like ‘apricot’, ‘arrow’, and ‘art’ on this page.

Guide Words: ‘believe’ – ‘benefit’

• You’ll find words like ‘bell’, ‘belong’, and ‘best’ on this page.

Guide Words: ‘zebra’ – ‘zoo’

• You’ll find words like ‘zeal’, ‘zenith’, and ‘zone’ on this page.

Simple Exercises

Exercise 1:

If the guide words are ‘dream’ and ‘dusk’, would you find these words on that page? Write Yes or No.

1. Dragon ( )
2. Dust ( )
3. Drop ( )
4. Dread ( )
5. Duty ( )

Exercise 2:

What would be appropriate guide words for a dictionary page containing the following words: ‘flavor’, ‘flea’, ‘flexible’, ‘flight’, ‘float’?

Possible guide words: ______ – ______

Key Takeaways

Guide words are your friends! They help you navigate the dictionary efficiently. Remember that they represent the first and last words on a page, making your search much faster. Keep practicing, and you’ll become a dictionary master! 💪

let’s practice!